Combined coop and brooder.



Patented 1an. 3U, |900.

J. R. DIXON. lCOMBINE!) COOP AND BBDODEB.

(Application led June 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

vNTTE STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOIIN R. DIXON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED COOP AND BROODER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,090, dated January30, 1900.

Application filed June 17, 1898. Serial No. 683,747. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, JOHN R. DIXON, a oiti Zen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Coop andBrooder, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andligures of reference marked thereon.

One of the greatest objections to the use of chicken coops and broodersis their clumsiness, and another is the exposure of the tender chicks inall kinds of weather unless the coop is closed and darkened.

The objects of my invention are, lirst, to make a combined coop andbrooder which is so constructed that it can provide separatecompartments for the hen and for the brood, both of which can besuitably ventilated, but the latter of which is closed to the hen and isloored and can be opened or closed to the outside and is provided with aglass roof and an overhanging awning, and, second, to so construct itthat it can be knocked down and folded up for storage or transportationin a very compact space. This I accomplish bythe means hereinafter fullydescribed and as particularlyT pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my invention, showingthe same opened and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the same, showing it opened. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing itknocked down and folded. Fig. t is a transverse vertical section takenon dotted line 4: 4, Fig. 2, lookingin the direction indicated by thearrows. Fig. 5 is a detail View showingin perspective the broken-awaylower rear corner of the rear and side walls of the hencoop.

In the drawings, A represents the central rectangular open frame of myinvention, which serves as a case, within which the parts of myinvention are inclosed and folded when my invention is knocked down, andserves as a central main structure to which the coop on one sidethereofand the brooder on the other side occupy the relation of what isknown in building vernacular as a lean to. About the center of itsheight and midway its short length the vertical sides of frame A areconnected by a horizontal cross-bar B, and com necting the lower edge ofthis bar with the iioor side of frame A is a series of vertical rodsforming a grating b, which extends from side to side of said frame andthrough which the chicks can easily pass, but are arranged too close forthe hen to succeed in doing so. The space above bar B is closed toprevent the escape of the hen, lout open to free circulation of air by awire gauze or netting c, which has its side edges connected in suit ablemanner to said bar B and the vert-ical sides and top of frame A.

The upper portion of the rear edges of the vertical sides of frame A areconnected by a short drop-wall C, which depends from the rear edge ofthe top of the same, and below this drop-wall the said rear edges offrame A have hingedthereto, preferably by suitable strips of canvas'orburlap webbing, the side walls d of the hen-coop. rIhe width of theseside walls corresponds to slightly less than the width of frame A, andtheir upper edges are preferably inclined toward the rear and arecovered over by a roof-board D. The rear ends of the side walls d whenthe coop is open are connected by a suitable rear wall E. The innersurfaces of the vertical rear ends of side walls d, as well as the loweredges of the same, are reinforced by horizontal and verticalguide-cleats 2 and 3; but the lower cleats 2 do not extend to cleats 3,but are separated therefrom by a short space corresponding to thethickness of the rear wall E, which is bridged over by a short rail A.The lower edge of the rear wall E near each vertical side is providedwith vertical slots 5 therein, and when fitting said rear wall in placeits side edges are laid flat against the forward edge of cleats 2 andthen moved downward, so that rails 4 enter slots 5, and thus hold saidside walls d in parallel longitudinal planes. The upper edge of the saidrear wall is held by the roof-board D, the underside of which isrprovided near its forward and rear edges, respectively, with transversecleats D of a length corresponding to the distance between the said sidewalls when the coop is open and so arranged that when in position one ofsaid cleats rests and bears against the upper edge of the rear wall aswell as preserving the dis tance between said side walls.

When knocked down, the roof D is lifted o and the rear wall Edisconnected by lifting it slightly, so as to unlock its lower corners,and then spreading the side walls farther apart, whereupon both the saidroof and rear wall are placed in the central frame A flat against eachother and against grating b and bar B, iu which position they are connedby closing side walls d, like doors, in against the saine and securingsaid doors t0- 4gether by a hasp or in any other suitable manner. Y

The upper half of the front of frame A is closed by a swinging awning F,of board or other suitable material, the upper end of the side edges ofwhich are pivoted, as shown, between the vertical sides of frame A. Thisawning is held in its open position by one or two brace-rods f, whichhave their upper ends pivoted to a suitable staple secured to the underside of said awning near its side edges and the lower end of which isadapted to be inserted in one of the series of vertically-arranged holesf' in the forward edges of the vertical sides of frame A. When it isdesired to close this awning, it is raised slightly, so as to permit theremoval of the lower ends of rodsf from the holes f', and then said rodsare swung upward toward the pivoted edge of the awning and caught andheld by a hook f2, whereupon the said awning is swung into position andthere held by lateral lockingpins 6, shot through transverse holes inthe vertical sides of frame A and entering suitable holes in the edgesof said awning.

l Secured to the upper half of the inner surface of the vertical sidesof frame A, immediately in front of bar B and the wire-gauze c, arevertical rods g, and movable vertically on these rods is a horiozntalcross-head G, which is of such length that said rods enter correspondingvertical grooves in its ends. This cross-head is provided at about itscenter of length-with a suitable ring or handgrasp g', and it has hingedto its front surface, preferably bymeans of a suitable strip of canvasor burlap webbing, the glass roof h of the brooder, and this glass roofhas hinged to its outer edge, preferably by the same means, twocorresponding drop-doors H H', which together constitute the front wallof the brooder when in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of thedrawings. When it is desired to fold this glass roof into frame A, thecrosshead Gis raised to near the top of said frame, thus bringing saidroof and the doors H I-l into the position shown in Fig. 3. To hold theglass roof in the set-up position shown in Figs. l and 2, the side wallsI I are used. These side walls I have their higher vertical edgeshinged, preferably by means of canvas or burlap webbing, to the innersurface of the sides of frame A next the lower portion of the frontedges thereof and so that the lower edges of said side walls I are onthe same plane as the bottom of frame A. The length of these side wallscorresponds to about one-half the width of the frame A, and their upperedges are inclinedfrom their hinged ends to the outer ends. I prefer toreinforce the upper edge of these side walls I by a suitable stripsecured parallel thereto against the outer surface, and to secure to thelower edges of said wall cleats i, which are each provided withupwardly-projecting pinsj near each' end. When these side walls l areswung into a longitudinal position parallel to each other, they areconnected by a removable floor J of suitable area, which is the innersurface thereto next and parallel to A provided with openings 7c 7c andnear each end of their side edges, up through which piusjj of each sideWall I pass, and thus lock the same together. When the side walls I arethus locked, the glass roof is swung outward, thus causing thecross-head to lower on the guide-cleats and the drop-doors H I-I togravitate into the perpendicular position shown in Figs. l and f2.

To fold up the brooder, the glass roof is raised, and then thecross-head to which its inner edge is hinged is lifted until the saidglass roof and the drop-doors connected thereto are in the positionshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The floor J is then lifted, so as torelease the side walls I, and is placed flat against the glass roofwithin the contines of frame A, and then finally the side walls I I areswung like doors against the door J, which when said side walls are datagainst it is lifted slightly and then dropped again,so that itstransverse edge can fall between the pins j and side walls I, and thuslock said side walls in their closed position.

The operation of my invention is made apparent by the foregoingdescription. It will be observed that it embodies all the featuresnecessary to obtain light, warmth, heat, and ventilation in therequisite degree to obtain the best results, while at the same timeenabling the operator to have easy access to any part of the coop orbrooder to care for the hen or her brood, according as conditionsrequire. It will also be observed that it can be knocked down landfolded into a very compact space in such manner that it can be easilycarried from place to place or stored away for future use withoutinconvenience.

What I claim as new isl. In a combined coop and brooder the combinationwith a central rectangular frame,and a suit-able open vertical partitionarranged transversely across the same at about its cen` ter of length,of side walls, suitably hinged to the rear edges of the vertical sidesof said central frame, a rear wall removably secured to said side walls,and a removable roof supported by said walls and covering the same, anda knockdown lean-to brooder at the other end of said central frame,which together with the aforesaid movable elements constituting thebrooder are adapted to be inclosed and confined lwithin said centralframe.

IOO

IIO

2. In a combined coop and brooder the combination with a centralrectangular frame, a suitable open vertical partition arrangedtransversely across the same at about its center of length, and aknockdown lean-to coop located at the rear of said frame and adapted tobe inclosed and coinpactly confined in said central frame, of a brooderlocated at the front of saidcentral frame and comprising suitable sideWalls hinged to the lower portion of the front edges of the verticalsides of said central frame, a glass roof, the frame of which isvertically' adjustable in the upper portion of said rectangular frame infront of said partition and arranged when in use to cover the spacebetween the said side Walls, and drop-doors hinged to the outerhorizontal edge of said glass roof and arranged to close the front ofthe brooder.

3. In a combined coop and brooder, the cornbination with a centralrectangular frame having vertical rods, g, secured thereto, and aknockdown coop at one end thereof, of a knockdown brooder at the otherend thereof consisting of side Walls, a removable floor detachablyconnected therewith, a cover, 7i, and drop-doors connected with saidcover and forming the end of the brooder, the said cover being hinged toa vertically-movable crossliead, G, mounted between the rods g,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a combined coop and brooder the combination with a centralrectangular frame, a suitable open vertical partition arrangedtransversely across the saine at about its center of length, andknockdown lean-tocoop located at the rear of said central frame andadapted to be inclosed and conipactly conlined in the same, of suitableside walls hinged to the lower portion of the front edges of thevertical sides of said central frame having cleats secured to theirinner surfaces next their lower edges and pins projecting verticallytherefrom, a removable floor having openings near its side edges upthrough which said pins pass, a glass roof the sash-frame of which isvertically adjustable in the upper portion of said rectangular frame infront of said partition, and drop-doors hinged to the outer horizontaledges of said glass roof, as set forth.

5. In a combined coop and brooder the combination with a centralrectangular frame, a suitable open vertical partition arrangedtransversely across the same at about its center of length, and aknockdown lean-to coop located at the rear of said central frame whichis adapted to be inclosed and compactly confined in the same, ofsuitable side Walls hinged to the lower portion of the front edges ofthe vertical sides of said central frame having cleats secured to theirinner surfaces next their lower edges, pins projecting vertically fromsaid cleats, a removable floor having openings at each side up throughwhich said pins are adapted to pass, vertical guide-cleats secured tothe inner surface of the vertical sides of the central frame in front ofthe up per portion of said open partition thereof, a horizontalcross-head adapted to be vertically adjustable on said guide-cleats, aglass roof, the sash of Which is hinged to said cross-head anddrop-doors hinged to the outer horizontal edges of said glass roof, asset forth.

l JOHN R. DIXON. Witnesses WILLIAM S. BARBEE, E. HICK.

